Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

चाटुतस्करदुर्वृत्तान् हन्यान्नस्त्यस्य पातकम् । न द्रष्टव्यो मया पापः स्तेयी कन्यापहारकः

Transliteration

cāṭutaskaradurvṛttān hanyānnastyasya pātakam | na draṣṭavyo mayā pāpaḥ steyī kanyāpahārakaḥ

Translation

S'il fallait tuer de tels voleurs flatteurs à la conduite inique, il n'y aurait aucun péché. Ce pécheur, voleur et ravisseur d'une jeune fille, ne mérite même pas mon regard.

Word by Word

• चाटु-तस्कर-दुर्वृत्तान्: flatterers, thieves, and the ill-conducted (people)
• चाटु-तस्कर-दुर्वृत्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाटु (प्रातिपदिक) + तस्कर (प्रातिपदिक) + दुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (समाहार/समुच्चयार्थः)

• हन्यात्: should kill / should slay
• हन्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• अस्ति: is / exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्य: of him / for him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पातकम्: sin
• पातकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• द्रष्टव्यः: should be seen
• द्रष्टव्यः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (तव्यत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (gerundive: ‘to be seen/should be seen’)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पापः: the sinner
• पापः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्तेयी: a thief
• स्तेयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कन्या-अपहारकः: abductor of a maiden
• कन्या-अपहारकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अपहारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः अपहारकः)

Speaker

King (implied, issuing harsh moral judgment)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wrathful king in court denounces a supposed thief/maiden-abductor, refusing even to look at him; guards stand ready; the accused appears ascetic yet bound, creating tension between appearance and truth.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Thief (taskara/steyī)
• Maiden-abductor (kanyāpahāraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse underscores danda-nīti: society must be protected from predatory adharma, especially crimes against women and the abuse of religious guise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on ethical governance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns punishment and moral condemnation rather than ritual.